Decorative screens and rails



Aug. 23, 1966 R. F

DECORATIVE 5 Original Filed March 27, 1962 2X6 FIG. 6

. SEERY 3,267,fi2

GREENS AND RAILS 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. idea-er /=1 J5EE) Aug. 23, 1966 R. F. SEERY 3,26

DECORATIVE SCREENS AND RAILS Original Filed March 27, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 2

t I3---f/ f/ -Aliji 2 I IN VEN T OR.

35 w] 3 ,Faaaer F. JEEA) Aug. 23, 1966 R. F. SEERY 3,267,628

DECORATIVE SCREENS AND RAILS Original Filed March 27, 1962 5 SheetsSheet 3 United States Patent 3,267,628 DECORATIVE SCREENS AND RAILS Robert F. Seery, Louisville, Ky., assignor to Julius Blum dz Co., Inc., Carlstadt, N.J., a corporation of New York Original application Mar. 27, 1962, Ser. No. 182,905, now

Patent No. 3,197,931, dated Aug. 3, 1965. Divided and this application June 11, 1965, Ser. No. 463,276

3 Claims. (Cl. 52311) This application is a division of copending application Serial No. 182,905, filed March 27, 1962, now Patent No. 3,197,931, patented August 3, 1965.

The present invention relates to decorative screens and rails in buildings.

It is among the objects of the invention to provide a system of component elements of relatively few different prefabricated stock designs of elements which may be readily assembled into interlocking relationship to afford decorative screens or rails at the exterior or interior or both of various types, sizes and scales of a building structure, as required.

Another object is to afford to the architect and interior designer of building structures, a facility to interlock a small assortment of prefabricated stock elements to make any of a wide variety of individual patterns for screens or railings at the exterior or interior of the building of unique custom made design effect, at a small fraction of the cost of a custom made screen or railing for the purpose.

According to the invention, the screen consists of elongated bars or mullions, desirably of metal, each with longitudinal grooves arranged in spaced relation, and extending along the length thereof, said grooves being desirably of substantially circular, cylindrical conformation with the outer surface of the mullion presenting an opening of less than the diameter of the generally circular groove conformation.

The prefabricated stock elements coacting with the mullions and carried thereby may comprise any of a variety of different stock pieces, among which are a closure piece for closing a groove or consecutive grooves in a mullion, a spacer extending between and firmly connected to two consecutive mullions, a rosette, an adapter for a glass panel and the like, and if desired any of a desired number of other stock elements.

The various stock elements complementary to the mullion are desirably of aluminum or aluminum alloy as is desirably the mullion, and each of said complementary stock elements is provide-d with one or two beads unitary therewith, each bead being of shape and size to fit into a corresponding groove in the mullion and accordingly being in cross section in the shape of a generally spherical bead, having a reduced short stem, joining the spherical bead as a unitary part of the complementary stock piece, so

that the closure, the spacer, the rosette or the like may readily be slid in place at its bead into a corresponding groove in the mullion. Thus, the closure serves to close the groove at one side of the mullion and presents a flat surface. The spacer is a U-beam section, which extends between consecutive mullions and has beads protruding outward from opposite sides thereof, to fit into correspond ing grooves in the respective mullions and thus firmly to be mounted therebetween.

The rosette is a stock piece, desirably presenting a dished, circular conformation, with one leg protruding from the convex face thereof, presenting the generally spherical head to fit into a corresponding groove in the mullion or other upright and desirably another leg spaced from the first leg by the thickness of the mullion, so that there will be no looseness in the mount of the rosette. Desirably, a duplicate rosette is fitted on the other side of the mullion, usually in stair rail application.

3,267,628 Patented August 23, 1966 As the mullion has a longitudinal groove at the opposite face of that accommodating the head of the first rosette and nearer the opposite edge of the mullion than the groove that accommodates the first rosette, the two legs of each of the rosettes are preferably in aligned, sub stantially end to end relation when the rosettes are assembled to the mullion.

Desirably, the mullions may be spaced from each other at a variety of distances for a variety of effects, and the spaces between the mullions are closed by decorative panels of aluminum or aluminum alloy, plain, anodized, etched or enameled, each panel having a bead at two opposed edges thereof complementary to the longitudinal grooves in the mullions for secure placement between consecutive mullions. These panels may be of different assorted lengths in one and the same installation for a wide variety of ornamental effects determined by the architect or interior decorator.

In the accompanying drawings in which are shown one or more of various possible embodiments of the several features of the invention,

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a store front incorporating my invention,

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view showing an embodiment of my invention,

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view taken on line 3--3 of FIG. 2,

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 2,

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view taken on line 5-5 of FIG. 2,

FIG. 6 is a view taken on line 66 of FIG. 2, and

FIG. 7 is a view taken on line 77 of FIG. 2.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown in FIG. 1 a perspective view of a store front in which are shown the doors and an ornamental screen front 10 comprising a plurality of elongated bars hereinafter designated as mul lions, more fully described hereinafter, which mullions have mounting facilities distributed along the lengths thereof for mounting prefabricated stock panels between the mullions, which may be of any of a variety of material, including metal or plastic, and some of which, as at 11 may have indicia, that are the elements of the address or name of the store or the like.

If desired, a small scale screen 12 at the rear of the building or store, similar to screen 10 at the exterior of the building and matching or harmonizing with the pattern of the same, may be seen through the front window.

FIGURE 2 of the drawings shows a front elevation on a larger scale of a screen assembled according to the invention, cross sectional views of which are shown in FIGS. 3 to 7, more clearly to indicate various emb0diments of the installed prefabricated stock elements of the screen structure.

Referring to FIG. 3, sections are shown of horizontal parallel mullions 13, 14 and 15 which are secured at their ends to vertical mullions 16, 17. Each of these mullions in this embodiment is a rectangular bar, preferably of extruded aluminum or aluminum alloy. Each mullion has a multiplicity of longitudinal grooves 18, each extending the length of the mullion, said grooves extending in parallel relation at any desired spacing.

Referring to FIG. 3, for example, each groove 18 is of depth desirably more than one-half the thickness of the mullion. To this end, the grooves 18 and 18 at opposite faces of each mullion are staggered with re spect to each other. The grooves 18 at the top face of mullion 13 for instance, may extend midway between two consecutive grooves 18 in the opposite face of the mullion. Thus, the strength of the mullion is not materially impaired by the grooves.

ea ness Dcsirably, each groove which extends the entire length of the mullion has a generally circular cross-section, but is reduced in width as at 9 at the face of the mullion. This reduced width 3.9 at the face of tne mullion is desirably symmetrical of the diameter of the groove.

As appears in the drawing, the grooves in successive mullions are aligned with respect to those in the corresponding faces of the neighboring rnullions, that is, the groove 13 at the top face of mullion 13 is aligned with the groove 13 at the top face of mullion and groove 18 at the bottom face of mullion i3 is aligned with groove 18 at the bottom face of mullion l4.

Complementary with the grooves in the mullions are prefabricated stock pieces of various varieties. With the selection of a choice of a relatively few difi'erent prefabricated stock pieces, a variety of custom made effects may be produced in erecting a screen, balustrade or similar article.

Illustratively, there is shown in FIG. 3 a spacer 21 which is one of various widths of stock spacers. The spacer 21 is carried by and mounted between two successive mullions such as 13 and 1 4. Each spacer 21 is in the form of a channel member having a face panel 22 of width corresponding to the distance between the two mullions 13 and 14 that carry it. Each panel 22 has a pair of lateral wings 23 and 24 integral therewith extending at right angles to the panel. Each of these wings 23 and 2 has an elongated bead or protuberance 25, 26 extending longitudinally thereof and complementary to the grooves 1", 38 in the mullions 13 and 14, for example. The protuberance 25 is near the panel 22 of the spacer 21 while the protuberance 26 is near the outer end of the wing 24 so that the respective protuberances which are of size and shape corresponding to those of the grooves in the mullions will fit into respective staggered grooves 18 and 18 in the successive mullions 13, 14, for example.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, spacers 2'7 and 27 similar to spacers 2'1 but each having a larger face panel than the panel 22 of spacer 21, are mounted with their pro tuberances in the grooves 18 and 18 respectively of mullions 14, 15, a rod 2 of circular cross section, the same as that of the protuberance being positioned in grooves 18', 18 of mullions 14, 15 between adjacent spacers 27, 27 as shown in FIG. 2 to space said spacers 27, 27'. Illustratively, the distance between mnllions i4 and 15 is much greater than that between mullions 13 and 14-.

In FIG. 3 is also shown mounted on the bottom side of the mullion 13 a stock prefabricated fitting 31 desig nated a glass stop. That fitting comprises a base strip 32. secured to the undersurface of mullion 13 as by screws 33. The strip 32 has a wing 33 extending at right angles thereto, preferably serrated as at 3- serving as a stop for the upper edge of a rectangular glass panel 35. The upper edge of the glass panel is positioned against wing 33 as shown in FIG. 3, and is retained in place by a snap in bracket 35, U-shaped in cross section, which has two wings 36 and 37. Wing 36 has a lip 38 integral therewith which seats against a complementary lip 39 integral with the glass stop strip 32 and wing 37, has at its end a head 41 fitting into a corresponding groove 42 in a lip 43 integral with the midportion of the glass stop strip 32. Thus, the glass plate 35 is effectively, yet releasably mounted in position between the wings 33 and 37. If desired, felting (not shown) may be interposed between the wings 33, 37 and the corresponding faces of the glass panel 35.

In FIG. 4 is shown a horizontal mullion 45 with a closure plate 46 closing the top face thereof, that closure being desirably a fiat plate of metal or plastic and having illustratively two protuberances 47 identical with protuberance 26 previously described and fitting in the grooves 18', previously described, in the mullion. lllus-' tratively there is shown a rectangular wood panel 48 mounted against the outer face of the closure plate id and positioned between the upright mullions 1-6, 17, the wood panel illustratively being secured in place as by screws 5i extending through the upright mullions 16, 17. if desired, instead of using the screws 51, the wood panel could be retained in place by screws 51 extending through the closure plate 46 as shown in FIG. the closure plate thus serving as the mount for the-wood panel 4 In FIG. 4 is also shown the installation of a prefabricated rosette element 52 on a narrower mullion 53 that has grooves 54, 54, extending longitudinally along the opposed faces thereof. These grooves 54, 54-, just as grooves 13, 38', previously described, are respectively at one side of the mid-section of the width of the mullion and at the other side of said mid-section.

The rosette 52 may be of metal. or plastic. It constitutes a plate 55 desirably concave at the outer face and convex at the inner face thereof, the mid-portion 56 of the rosette being relatively fiat. The rosette has integral therewith and extending outwardly at r ght angles to said fiat portion a mounting arm 57 which has near its outer end a protuberance 58 complementary to the groove :34 in the mullion 53. Spaced from this mounting arm and parallel thereto is another arm 59 that extends along the bottom face of the mullion 53 and enhances the security of mount of the rosette. Preferably, each arm 57, 59 on the rosette 52 is of length slightly less than half the width of the mullion.

Desirably, especially in application to stair rails, balustrades or the like, a rosette 52 identical to that described is afiixed to the mullion 53 opposed to the rosette 52 just described, the protuberance 58 on the arm 57' extending into groove 54 of the mullion 53 and a companion arm 59 is spaced from arm 57 and extends parallel thereto.

In the cross sectional view of PEG. 5 is shown the arrangement of two successive spacer panels 61, 62 similar to panel 27 and mounted in the manner previously described between mullions 64, $3 and 63, 15.

The mullion 64 is similar to mullion 15 previously described and mullion 63 is similar to mullion 53previously described.

For greater security of mount, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, panels 62 and 62' mounted between mullions l5 and 63 are longitudinally spaced from each other as at 66 and are securely maintained in spaced relation as by metal rods 28 such as previously described, interposed in grooves 18', 18 in the mullions 15, 63.

There is secured to the outer surfaces of the upright mullions l6, 17 a closure plate 71 (see FIGS. 2, 6 and 7) in the form of an elongated strip identical to closure plate 46, the protuberances 47 of plate 71 fitting in the grooves 18" in the mullions 16, 17. The plate 71 is retained in position as by set screws 72 screwed into the correspondingly threaded ends of the grooves 18", for example.

The transverse or horizontal mullions 13, 14, 15, 63, 64, 53 and 45 are secured to the upright rnullions 16, 17 as by screws 73 illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7, releasably but securely to retain the parts in assembled relation.

With the construction above described, a multiplicity of unique designs can be produced from a relatively small assortment of prefabricated elements at a small fraction of the cost of a custom made screen.

is many changes could be made in the above construe tion, and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope of the claims, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

f. In a decorative element, a mullion rectangular in cross-section having longitudinal grooves in opposite faces thereof transversely displaced from each other, each groove extending the length of the mullion and being of reduced Width at that portion which is exposed at the face of the mullion, and a rosette stock element mounted to said mullion on one side thereof, said rosette element being concave at its outer face and convex at its inner face and having a pair of wings at right angles to the rosette, spaced from each other by the thickness of the mullion and straddling the latter, the groove at one face of the mullion being at a greater distance from an end of the mullion than the groove at the other face thereof, one wing of the rosette having a generally spherical protuberance with a reduced neck between the protuberance and the wing, corresponding to the reduced width of the groove, said protu berances fitting into the groove on one face of the mullion.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1 in which a companion rosette identical with the first rosette is provided but having its protuberance fitting into the groove on the other face of the mullion, said companion rosette being mounted on the other side of said mullion, the ends of the respective wings of the two rosettes being in close proximity to each other.

3. In a decorative element for a building construction, a pair of spaced parallel mullions having parallel longitudinal grooves in spaced relation on at least the outer faces thereof, said grooves being relatively narrow at the face of the mullion and substantially widening toward the interior and a closure stock piece comprising a plate with two lateral protuberances complementary to two of the grooves in the mullion and spaced from each other on the plate at distances corresponding to the spacing of the mullion grooves, a mullion extending transversely between said pair of spaced parallel mullions and a pane of transparent material mounted to said transverse mullion, said mount comprising a base strip, means securing said base strip to one surface of said transverse mullion, said base strip having a Wing extending at right angles thereto against which one edge of the pane may abut and means releasably connected to said base strip transversely spaced from said wing by substantially the thickness of said pane, said means retaining said edge of the pane against said wing.

References Qited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 349,375 9/1886 Sutherland 52311 2,302,586 11/1942 Thelen 52-669 3,197,931 8/ 1965 Seery 52-455 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,082,475 6/ 1954 France. 1,221,507 6/1960 France.

HARRISON R. MOSELEY, Primary Examiner.

A. I. BREIER, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A DECORATIVE ELEMENT, A MULLION RECTANGULAR IN CROSS-SECTION HAVING LONGITUDINAL GROOVES IN OPPOSITE FACES THEREOF TRANSVERSELY DISPLACED FROM EACH OTHER, EACH GROOVE EXTENDING THE LENGTH OF THE MULLION AN BEING OF REDUCED WIDTH AT THAT PORTION WHICH IS EXPOSED AT THE FACE OF THE MULLION, AND A ROSETTE STOCK ELEMENT MOUNTED TO SAID MULLION ON ONE SIDE THEREOF, SAID ROSETTE ELEMENT BEING CONCAVE AT ITS OUTER FACE AND CONVEX AT ITS INNER FACE AND HAVING A PAIR OF WINGS AT RIGHT ANGLES TO THE ROSETTE, SPACED FROM EACH OTHER BY THE THICKNESS OF THE MULLION AND STRADDLING THE LATTER, THE GROOVE AT ONE FACE OF THE MULLION BEING AT A GREATER DISTANCE FROM AN END OF THE MULLION THAN THE GROOVE AT THE OTHER FACE THEREOF, ONE WING OF THE ROSETTE HAVING A GENERALLY SPHERICAL PROTUBERANCE WITH A REDUCED NECK BETWEEN THE PROTUBERANCE AND THE WING, CORRESPONDING TO THE REDUCED WIDTH OF THE GROOVE, SAID PROTUBERANCES FITTING INTO THE GROOVE ON ONE FACE OF THE MULLION. 